Pressure relief valve



ec. 1l, w51 F. HRIBAR PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE Filed AuE- 9' 1946 /v /G fj14 E'. 3 k.f

Patented Dec. 11, 1951 Frank Hribar, cleveland, ohio, assigner 'to `The Weatherhea'd Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a 'corporation -of Ohiov Application Augustf9, 1946, Serial,No.,689,442

'lhisJ invention relates to a relief valve. Those skilled in the valve art will appreciate that basically the amount of gaseous uid whichcan be exhausted through a relief valve during a ygiven time has in the past `been substantially proportional to the size of the valve .and inversely proportional to the pressure itself. However, increasing the size of the valve to accommodate an increased now generally results in anadditional cost of manufacture and in lsome cases there -may berspace limitations which offer serious problems. I have found, however., that by designing my relief valve so that the parts over which the fluid flows are streamlined that .I can producea higher velocity flow for a given size valve than otherwise possible.

Another difculty encountered with relief valves or check valves is that of chatter or utter of the valve when it is opened. It is another object of my invention to eliminate such chatter and, by taking advantage of this streamlined flow, to prevent build up of pressure on the atmospheric side of the moving valve member. These and other objects will be apparent as the following detailed description of my invention proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an external view of the streamlined poppet valve member;

Fig. 2 is an end view ofthev nose of the member;

Fig. 3 is a partially sectioned view of the poppet valve; and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the entire valve assembly showing the valve in its open or pressure relieving position.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the poppet guide member G has a body portion l in the form of a sleeve and is shaped generally like a projectile with a curved or boat-tailed portion 2 and a streamlined nose 3. Circumferentially spaced blocks 4 are provided for threading the guide into the valve body. As seen in Fig. 4, the outer surface of these blocks forms an interrupted thread and they present a streamlined surface to the duid stream passing over the guide member. A slot E is provided to receive a screw driver during adjustment of the valve. n

In Fig. 3 the poppet valve itself is shown. It has a sleeve portion 1, a spring seat portion 8 and a cupped portion 9 which receives a resilient closure washer Ill.

In Fig. 4 can be seen the valve housing H which may be threaded or otherwise fastened as at I2 to the container or tank which holds the fluid under pressure. A wrench-receiving part I3 may be provided and the balance of the housing comprises a sleeve portion lll threaded inter' nally as at l5,to receive the threaded block-s 4 of the guidemember. Adjacent the inner end 'of the housing a curved wall I6 is provided having a smooth contour which wall merges with the valve seatl Il. When the valve is closed seat I1 is 'engaged by 'the-sealing washer lll. The spring S rests rin the spring pocket Sfofthe valve member V and its other end rests in a pocket 8a formed in the guide member G "The spring normally forces member V against the valve seat ll. Valve member V'and Vguide memberG cooperate to form a chamber C which at atmospheric pressure because `of Vthe bore 5 in the guide member.

In operation, the valve is screwed in place in the tank andthe valve guide member is adjusted in or kout of the housing Huntil 'the valve opens at thevdesi'red predetermined pressure. When the valve opens, the fluid flows through the inlet port '12a and 'out between the portion I yof the valve'guide and the sleeve I3 of the valve housing. As can be seen by the streamlines indicating fluid flow, the air which rushes throughthe inlet port I2a impinges on the at washer l0 so that inaddition to the force due vto static pressure, kinetic Ypressure` tends to hold the valve open without chatter. It can also be seen how the shape of thecurved portion i6 of the valve heus--l ing prevents turbulence in this area. Since the parts are streamlined, a laminar or streamlined flow will result with a minimum turbulence. This laminar flow permits more uid to pass through the valve for a givensizevalve seat.

Due to the 'shape ofthe .nose portion 3, as the fluid passes thereover and leaves the vicinity of the valve, a low pressure area A is formed in accordance with the laws of physics. Because of this low pressure area, fluid is exhausted from the chamber C behind the valve poppet and out through the bore 5 in the valve guide. This aids in keeping the valve open and furthermore it aids in prevention of chatter. In the conventional type of valves there is a tendency for turbulence to cause uid pressure to build up adjacent the exhaust portion of the valve and to load up the chamber behind the movable Valve member which is one of the causes of objectionable chatter. With my construction the combination of the effect of the air impinging upon the valve seat at the inlet port and the exhausting of air from behind the valve is very effective in preventing chatter. Furthermore, the streamline design increases the flow for a given size unit.

I contemplate that Various modications may however, the valve guide should have a stream,

lined shape in the general nature of that shown in the drawings. oi the interrupted thread *members* 4 maybe varied and I contemplate that finsfmay be substituted for the air foil section thread members if so desired. ,v

I also contemplate that the relation of poppet valve and guide member may be reversed and the guide member may telescope in the poppet valve. v

These and other modifications may be made without departing from thev spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention so that others skilled in the art may be able to understand and practice the same. I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is deilned in what is claimed.

, WhatIclaim is:

- 1. In a check valve, an elongated valve body having an inlet port, avalve seat surrounding said port and a through bore leading from said seat, a tubularvalve guide supported in saidbcre by means which permit fluid to pass between said guide and body, a valve member movably telescoped with and closely tting said guide for engaging said seat, said valve member having a substantially flat seating face, said valve member and guide cooperating to form a spring chamber, a spring in said chamber to seat the valve mernber, the spacing of said valve and the rearward portion of the guide from the body being such that with the valve open a iluid passageway is formed around the parts that is substantially no smaller in area than that of the port whereby substantially no fluid velocity increase occurs as iluid ows around the valve and rearward guide portion, the axially outer end of said guide being formed with a streamlined nose whereby iluid velocity increases as it ilows past the end of said nose and a low pressure area is formed by the streamline flow of iluid past the nose when the valve member is unseated, and aport in said nose leading from the portion thereof at said The number and* disposition f 4 low pressure area. into said chamber whereby iluid pressure in said chamber is less than that where the fluid ilows between said valve and body, said pressure differential and impact of fluid on said flat valve face tending to hold said valve open.

2. In a check valve. an elongated valve body ,having an inletport, agvalve seat surrounding said port and a throughl bore leading from said seat, a tubular valve guide supported in said bore by means which permit iluid to pass between said guide and body, a valve member movably telescoped with and closely tting said guide for engagingl said seat, said valve member and guide cooperating to form a spring chamber, a spring n said chamber to seat the valve member, the spacing of said valve and the rearward portion oi.' the guide from the body being such that with the valve open a iiuid passageway is formed around the parts that is substantially no smaller in area than that of the port whereby substantially no iluid velocity increase occurs as iluid flows around the valve and rearward guide portion, the axially outer end of said guide being formed with a streamlined nose whereby iluid velocity increases as it flows past the end o! said nose and a low-pressure area is formed by the streamline ilow of fluid past the nose when the valve member is unseated, and a port in said nose leading from the portion thereof at said lowpressure area into said chamber whereby iluid pressure in said chamber is less than that where the fluid ows between said valve and body, said pressure differential tending to hold said valve open, the portion of said valve facing said port being ilattened to receive the impact of iluid ilow through the valve.

FRANK HRIBAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,679,774 Larner Aug. 7, 1928 1,802,720 Junkers Apr. 28, 1931 1,987,974 Richardson Jan. 15, 1935 2,075,167 Broecker Mar. 30, 1937 2,170,478 Long et al. Aug. 22, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 373,760 Germany Apr. 16, 1923 

